Wednesday, April 14, 2004

County increases trial, investigation funding

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"It’s pretty tough on my budget right now for these two cases combined, all in this fiscal year. Our overtime budgets are at critical stages right now. There’s just a lot of expenses."

— WALT FEMLING, Blaine County sheriff

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By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

As Blaine County approaches the ninth month since a high-profile double murder in Bellevue, the investigation and prosecution of the case is beginning to pinch the county’s pocketbook.

On top of the ongoing investigation and prosecution of double murder suspect Sarah M. Johnson, Blaine County began late last month to investigate and prosecute a second high-profile case involving two counts of attempted murder. In a preliminary hearing Tuesday, the defendant, David L. Santistevan, was bound over for trial in 5th District Court in Hailey.

"It’s pretty tough on my budget right now for these two cases combined, all in this fiscal year," said Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling. "Our overtime budgets are at critical stages right now. There’s just a lot of expenses."

The county estimates the two cases could cost a combined total of $1.5 million, said Blaine County Commissioner Mary Ann Mix. Specific expenses, however, are unavailable. Expenses incurred in the Johnson case thus far are in a sealed file.

In response to the accumulating bills, county commissioners on Monday approved expenditure of $106,000 from its reserve fund to help cover the costs of the two cases. The fund had $220,000 before the allocation.

"When we spend out the rest of that fund, then we will dip into our undesignated reserve fund," Mix said. "That is the reason we have a savings account, for things like that."

Mix said both cases are predicted to last through the remainder of this fiscal year, and into the subsequent financial calendar. Commissioners will be better able to allocate funds during the next fiscal year, which begins in September, she said.

"The logistics of the cases are quite amazing," Femling said. "With the Johnson case, we’ve interviewed 400 people. Every one of those were tape recorded, and every one of those needs to be transcribed. That’s just one of the facets of this case." Johnson is accused of murdering her parents in Bellevue in September.

Meanwhile, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office continues to protect and serve the public at large.

"We’re definitely busy, but we’re getting it done, too," Femling said. "And I hate to say it, but we’re coming into our busy months."

It is no secret that high profile murder cases and capital cases cost taxpayers a lot of money.

In a 2003 interview with an Idaho reporter, Cassia County Commissioner Paul Christensen said it costs Idaho taxpayers about $1 million to imprison somebody for life. A death-penalty case may cost five times that.

"I think people need to realize the impact it has on our state taxpayers," Christensen said.

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